* The NYCLU is suing the NYPD to protect Yankees fans' right to hate America. [Gothamist and New York Law Journal]

* Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan is resigning this weekend. Among those gunning for his job are two Foley Hoag partners: Michael B. Keating and Martin Murphy. That's a little awkward when it comes to intra-firm politics, no? [Boston Globe]

* Former ATL 'Lawyer' of the Day Howard Kieffer was back in the courtroom this week, being convicted of mail fraud and making false statements. [Associated Press]

* Easter's celebration of resurrection has inspired Eliot Spitzer. He's contemplating another run for Attorney General. [New York Post]

* Earlier this week, a judge ruled that law firms need to make it clear that they are representing the company and not individual employees during the course of their investigations-- Irell & Manella was on the short end of that ruling. Stanford Group's former CIO was likely following that case closely. She has filed a malpractice and conspiracy complaint against Proskauer Rose and others for the same practices. [Courthouse News Service]

* More on the monster $55.1 million Lehman bill submitted in Manhattan bankruptcy court by Weil Gotshal. In addition to over 100,000 billable hours over four months, the bill includes "$200,000 for business meals, $439,000 for computerized and "other" research, [and] $115,000 on local transportation and $287,000 on duplicating charges." Sigh. Just when Americans were starting to hate bankers more than lawyers. [Wall Street Journal (subscription)]

Last month, we brought you Open Thread: Nationwide Start Date Round-up. After a flood of tips in response to that, we brought you an Expanded Nationwide Start Date Round-up. After that post, we got another deluge of tips. So now we bring you the latest and greatest round-up: more firms, more 2010 start dates, more pro bono deferral opportunities, more great taste, less calories.... whoops, wrong post.

Proskauer Rose announced start dates yesterday. Incoming associates have got some time to kill and some money to spend, says a tipster:

Proskauer [is] pushing their new associates back to March 2010. They're offering a $20K stipend, or the option to get a public interest job, start Jan. 2011 and get a $60K stipend. They're also still honoring a $10K salary advance they had previously offered.

Most firms, like Proskauer, have offered baby associates deferral stipends when pushing back start dates. However, a few disgruntled 3Ls have written to ATL saying that stipends are not forthcoming at their firms. Here are reports from tipsters:

Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell not offering any stipends [not even salary advances] to deferred Class of 2009 associates. Deferred Associates are still receiving their graduation bonuses ($1500), I guess that's supposed to carry them through until January 2010.

---

You guys got to say something about the fact that Shearman, unlike most of the other firms, isn't paying any kind of a stipend to those it is deferring until January '10.

---

King & Spalding, all offices, has been pushed to January 19, 2010. Incoming associates were informed in late March. No stipend, and the salary advance is also not an option anymore.

---

Goldberg Kohn gave their incoming associates a $7500 bar stipend (which was reduced from the originally promised $8,000); they paid for Bar Exam fees; and they gave them a hand wave goodbye. As for their reported "pushing back start dates", Goldberg Kohn has told their incoming associates that their start date was INDEFINITELY deferred. They said that March 2010 was a possibility but that the date was arbitrary and they are making no promises at all....They have offered no deferral stipend.

We would like to note that Shearman is paying a $65,000 stipend to those deferred to September 2010.

We wanted to call this post "The Final Round-up," but that seemed overly optimistic. Check out the newest additions to the nationwide start date watch, after the jump. This time around, we've included firms (that we know of) that have not yet announced start dates.

I really thought we were going to make it through the whole day without any fresh layoff stories. I really did. We were so close.

Sadly, there is an internal memo going around at Proskauer Rose right now. The damage, 23 attorneys. We haven't gotten our hands on the memo yet, but we understand that the memo makes no mention of any staff cuts.

You'll remember that back in December, Proskauer laid off 35 associates and 25 staffers. The firm also laid off first years at that time, but that wasn't in the announcement. Of course, that was back in December when laying off first years looked particularly bad.

No word on whether this round of cuts is also affecting first years.

This second round of cuts shouldn't be all that surprising. Proskauer profits per partner were down ten percent last year. And we know partnerships don't like that.

We'll update you with the full internal memo when we get it.

So close. Maybe tomorrow can be an official "no layoff day?"

Earlier: Nationwide Layoff Watch: Proskauer Cuts 60 People
Nationwide Layoff Update: Proskauer Rose
Proskauer Profits Take a Tumble

Back in December, we reported that Proskauer Rose laid off 35 associates and 25 staff. We believe that the firm fired first-years as part of the layoffs. Proskauer said it was taking these actions in response to the "worldwide economic crisis."

Yesterday, AmLaw Daily reported that Proskauer partners also felt the pain of 2008:

Proskauer Rose's profits per equity partner dropped 10 percent in 2008 to $1.4 million. Revenues increased marginally, by 1 percent, to $634 million in 2008. Revenue per lawyer dipped slightly to $916,000, as did head count: total attorneys went from 685 in 2007 to 692 in 2008.

In this economy, Proskauer chairman Allen Fagin was reluctant to complain about $1.4 million dollars per partner:

Fagin echoes other law firm leaders when commenting on his firm's performance this past year, saying that, given the challenges, he is satisfied. The results "put us in the vicinity of most of the firms we would consider peers," he says -- the group, according to Fagin, includes Mayer Brown and Latham & Watkins.

Let's see: Mayer Brown laid off 33 attorneys in November, and Latham is doing Latham things, so it sounds like Proskauer did a pretty good job when picking its "peer firms."

And there might be more layoffs on the horizon for Proskauer:

Fagin says there is an "ongoing examination" to ensure that staffing levels are right.

In the words of the late, great, Mr. Arnold: "Hang on to your butts."

THE AM LAW 100: Proskauer's Profits Fall 10 Percent, Revenues Up Slightly [AmLaw Daily]

Earlier: Nationwide Layoff Update: Proskauer Rose

Every year, the National Law Journal names individual people and firms that have done outstanding pro bono work. This year perhaps more than others, it is especially important to recognize those that gave their time to charity. With the economy crumbling, there is a huge need for free legal services.

The NLJ has recognized the work done by Proskauer Rose, Holland & Knight, and Mayer Brown towards resettling Iraqi refugees:

Eric Blinderman, international legal counsel to Proskauer Rose, had gone to Iraq in March 2004 as an associate general counsel for the Coalition Provisional Authority. Later, he served as chief legal counsel and associate deputy to the Regime Crimes Liaison. In 2007, Blinderman's firm officially became a part of The List: Project to Resettle Iraqi Refugees, a nonprofit organization founded that year to help resettle Iraqis in danger because of their affiliation with the United States. Holland & Knight had already been collaborating with the project, and Mayer Brown signed on this year.

The other big firm winner was Pillsbury Winthrop for its efforts during the election:

Firms nationwide were inspired by the historic 2008 presidential election to devote pro bono time to protecting access to the voting booth. Lawyers went to court in several states on voter access issues, most frequently to prevent a voting reform law, the Help America Vote Act, from becoming a barrier to the ballot. The law required states to match voter rolls with another database, usually the registry of driver licenses, to create a more accurate list of voters.

Read the full list of winners here. And please share your stories about other great pro bono acts in the comments.

2008 NLJ PRO BONO AWARDS [National Law Journal]

So much for O'Melveny & Myers setting the bonus market for L.A. Proskauer Rose announced their bonuses this afternoon, and they will be paying the Cravath scale across all of their offices.

That's good news if you're in Boston, expected news if you're in New York, and a slightly disappointing confrontation with reality if you're in Los Angeles.

This bonus news comes less than a month after Proskauer announced layoffs of 35 associates and 25 administrative staff. We even have reports that some Proskauer first-year associates were laid off this month. Against that backdrop, still having a job is hopefully bonus enough for those still at Proskauer.

Proskauer declined to follow OMM's bonus lead; will they follow Latham's salary lead? We don't have any word on the status of Proskauer's pay raises, but at this point, no news is good news.

Earlier: Nationwide Layoff Watch: Proskauer Cuts 60 People
Prior ATL coverage of associate bonuses

Last Thursday, we reported that Proskauer Rose laid off 35 associates and 25 staff. At the time, the firm released a statement explaining the need for the cuts:

We are taking these actions in response to the worldwide economic crisis, as well as an unprecedented reduction in our historical lawyer attrition rate, which requires that we align our staffing with current and projected levels of activity on behalf of our clients.

But how often are first-year associates the subjects to "historic attrition?" Not many first years show up for work in September only to leave by December.

But our sources indicate that a number of first-year associates where included in the 35 attorneys Proskauer laid off. A couple of tipsters report that as many as eight first-years lost their job.

We reached out to Proskauer to clarify the number of first-years let go, but the firm declined to comment.

As we understand it, the fired first-years were given a number of reasons for their dismissal. We explore some of them after the jump.

If you thought that law firms wouldn't fire people between Thanksgiving and Christmas, think again. We've received reports today that Proskauer Rose has decided to layoff 35 associates and 25 administrative staff.

A firm representative offered this statement:

We are taking these actions in response to the worldwide economic crisis, as well as an unprecedented reduction in our historical lawyer attrition rate, which requires that we align our staffing with current and projected levels of activity on behalf of our clients.

We regret the need to take these actions but recognize that they have become a necessity for many of our clients and peer firms and that good business judgment requires that we staff appropriately.

We're not entirely surprised by these cuts. In fact, we predicted that something would happen over at Proskauer back in September when Proskauer announced the salary figures for their 2009 summer associate class:

Isn't Proskauer, like everyone else, looking to cut back on expenses where possible? Why would they lock themselves into $3,077 unless they thought that they could make cuts somewhere else along the way? What other factors could possibly come into play to push summer compensation higher than it was last year?

More bad news continues to flow in from all across the legal landscape. But give Proskauer credit for doing these layoffs the right way. They didn't use stealth performance reviews to make the cuts, and all the associates will still be eligible for their 2008 bonus:

Those affected will be eligible for severance pay, health care benefits and outplacement counseling, as well as payments of the 2008 bonuses they would have received had they remained with the firm through year end.

Read the full statement after the jump. Good luck to all the former Proskauer people now on the market.

Today's installment of our ongoing series about law students who are determined to screw around comes with information about Proskauer Rose's summer program. According to multiple tipsters, Proskauer is not directly rescinding offers (like Akin Gump did), but they are encouraging students who have received offers to consider other options for the summer.

We're pretty sure that Proskauer is not alone with these "stealth rescinding offer" phone calls.

For the latest in career services people freaking out, we have a T-5 School, and a top tier school.

From NYU:

After speaking with recruiting professionals at various law firms and participating on a recent NALP conference call to discuss the state of the economy, we would like to address the fall recruiting season. As you are aware, this recruiting season has been seriously affected by the economy. We have been notified by one New York firm that they are rescinding their outstanding offers for Summer 2009. In addition, we have been informed by numerous firms that their summer programs are oversubscribed due to the unprecedented rate of early acceptances.

The obvious impact of oversubscription is that these firms may not be able to extend offers to their entire summer class.

We strongly recommend that you review your options and accept an offer as quickly as possible. Do not wait until the expiration of the offer to make a decision. If you need any assistance in making a decision, please make an appointment to speak with a career counselor.

And from UT:

Dear Students,

We received reports yesterday directly from a few law firms and from some of our students that some 2L summer clerkship offers have been rescinded before the offer deadline. Current market conditions suggest that less deliberation of opportunities and quicker response time to offers is prudent. With unusually high acceptance rates and concern of over-subscribing summer clerkship classes, some firms have decided to rescind outstanding offers once their target class size has been met. While we are directly aware of only a few such instances, we recommend that you make your acceptance offers and communicate those results to employers as soon as possible.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that sitting on offers is a terrible strategy, some law students continue to wear Bad Idea Jeans.

Some of these students weigh in after the jump.

We've reported on how various lawyers are wading into the California Proposition 8 battle through internal firm communication. Last week we told you about a "Yes on 8" Proskauer associate who emailed entertainment law blogger Russell Wetanson from his Proskauer email account.

Apparently, one missive supporting a ban on gay marriage wasn't enough for the associate. The associate has sent out another email -- from his Proskauer account -- to a much wider distribution list which included other Proskauer attorneys:

The Supreme Court's decision to legalize same-sex marriage did not just overturn the will of California voters (over 61% of them to be exact); it also redefined marriage for the rest of society, without ever asking the people themselves to accept this decision. As a lawyer I can tell you that those Four Activist Judges in San Francisco harmed the democratic process as much as they damaged traditional marriage. [Redacted] I know you and I agree on most things and I assume you still believe that it is a judge's role to enforce the law not create it, but that is exactly what those Four Activist Judges did. They ignored the votes and voices of 4 million Californians and replaced it with their own. For that reason alone Prop 8 should be supported. If the proponents of gay marriage wish to change the law, let them do it properly not; through the people not through activist judges.

What people do on their personal time is their own business. But doesn't this cat have a gmail account? There are a lot of attorneys who use the Star Jones-special "I'm a Lawyer" conceit to strengthen their argument, but why drag the firm into it?

More excerpts from this Proskauer associate after the jump.

Legal analyst and pop-culture sycophant Russell Wetanson has been running a fairly aggressive campaign against California's Proposition 8. The measure would ban gay marriages in California, as we have discussed before.

Wetanson sent around the following email to subscribers to his blog:

No On Prop 8. No On Prop 8. No On Prop 8.

If you think everyone agrees with this or understands the proposition, you are wrong. The evil Yes On 8 people have raised way too much money, so No On Prop 8 needs your help to keep running ads and make sure that civil rights guaranteed by the California Constitution are not stripped away by a vote.

Not surprisingly, the "evil" line produced some pretty angry responses to Wetanson, including one from a senior Proskauer Rose associate:

Russell: Easy on the "evil Yes on 8 people" - as you may or may not know I am one of them and my girlfriend [Redacted] - so unless you actually think we are evil I think it goes a little over the top to call people names (especially in support of a campaign that purports to fight against bigotry).

Though I am sure I will not change your mind I will remind you that Prop 8 will not take any substantive rights away from any individuals as California law already provides domestic partners all of the rights that can be provided under state law to same sex couples (and we both know Prop 8 does not impact federal law). On the other hand keeping the law as it was judicially modified by 4 judges who overturn 62% of Californian's will impacts far more than those who wish to enter into a committed relationship as it impacts the requirements of educational system and potential the rights of religious organizations. This is not a doomsday prediction, it is already happening as state funds are being used to proselytize to 1st graders http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/11/MNFG13F1VG.DTL&type=politics&tsp=1.

All I am saying is adults can disagree (as you and I have responsibly for years) and while this can be an emotional issue for both sides, name calling is a little beyond you.

A reasonable response (though I disagree that taking a field trip to see a teacher get married is tantamount to "proselytizing first graders").

After the jump, was the firm email account really the best way to communicate this message?

We received a very interesting offer letter for the 2009 summer class sent out by Proskauer Rose:

Our compensation level for next summer has not yet been set, but it will be no less than $3,077 per week - the salary that we paid to those summer associates who were with us in New York this past summer.

This is most likely just a clumsily worded invitation to summer with the firm. This may well be their standard form letter for offers that they've used since 2007 and haven't bothered to update.

But consider two other possibilities:

1) Isn't Proskauer, like everyone else, looking to cut back on expenses where possible? Why would they lock themselves into $3,077 unless they thought that they could make cuts somewhere else along the way? What other factors could possibly come into play to push summer compensation higher than it was last year? Unless ...

2) Does Proskauer seriously think they might be able to raise salaries next year? Are they trying to signal to the market that they could be in a position to raise salaries if need be?

Proskauer has already set a price floor, but hasn't set a price ceiling. Why would they do that? If they are just using standard language from the past, they really should consider updating their offer letters and stop messing with people's emotions.

Welcome to another post in the 2009 Vault 100 open thread series. You all seem to like having the law firms listed in groups of ten, so we'll keep it up. Here are the thirty-something firms from the Vault 100, with prestige scores in parentheses:

31. Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP (6.461)
32. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (6.327)
33. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP (6.313)
34. Winston & Strawn LLP (6.275)
35. Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges LLP (6.235)
36. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP (6.174)
37. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (6.173)
38. Allen & Overy LLP (6.147)
39. Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft (6.131)
40. Proskauer Rose LLP (6.102)

Fried Frank and Cadwalader have been on the ATL radar of late. We broke news of staff layoffs at Fried Frank earlier this week, and news of the attorney bloodletting at Cadwalader last month. As noted in Cadwalader's notable perks: "ouch, layoffs." (Speaking of, in going through the Vault 100 list, we've discovered that Vault's definition of "perk" is very different from ours.)

In the comments, the curious can pose questions, and the insiders can share insights. More threads to come.

Earlier: Vault 100 Open Threads - 2009

During Kash's brief foray into the world of corporate law at Covington & Burling, she was initially surprised by the party-hard culture at firm events. Once the majority of the partners left one Friday roof-deck happy hour, the event turned distinctly frat party-esque, with patio tables pushed together for rounds of beer pong.

A tipster sends word of a Proskauer Rose firm event turned Animal House scene. The summer associate class in the Boston office of Proskauer had no problem snagging offers this year -- and some Proskauer attorneys were willing to risk their coronary health to bring them on board.

The full tale, with photographic evidence, is available after the jump. It involves lots of drinking, a lot of beef, and excessive eating -- all the hallmarks of the summer associate experience.

Last week we complained about an insufficient number of summer associate scandals so far this year. But maybe things are starting to pick up.

We begin by giving props to Proskauer Rose for their commitment to public service. They bring all their summers down to New Orleans to work on a Habitat for Humanity project. From the press release:

On Friday and Saturday, June 20 and 21, law firm Proskauer Rose LLP will work with Habitat for Humanity to build three houses in the Musicians Village' section of the 9th Ward of New Orleans. The firm aims to help families displaced by Hurricane Katrina, giving them a place to once again call home.

Proskauer Rose summer associates, lawyers and staff, including Howard Shapiro, head of the firm's New Orleans office, and local Habitat for Humanity representatives will be available for interviews and photographs during the house building. The houses will be located at 1817, 1821 and 1825 Bartholomew Street and work will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. both days. A check presentation ceremony will take place Friday, June 20 at 8 a.m. at 4000 North Roman Street.

Proskauer Rose is bringing together 90 summer associates, lawyers and staff from its New Orleans and national offices to participate in the event. The firm will also donate $75,000 to Habitat for the cost of one of the homes. This is the third consecutive year the firm has participated in and sponsored such an event.

So that's the background. Read the story, after the jump.

There are vague rumors of something afoot at Heller Ehrman. Could the persistent gossip about a merger finally come true? Last week brought this report from TheLawyer.com:

The chairman of US firm Heller Ehrman has refused to rule out a merger after respected litigator Paul Alexander became the seventeenth partner to leave the firm this year. The firm lost 25 partners in 2007 and has lost 17 this year after Alexander quit to join Howrey in Palo Alto. [Ed. note: See links collected at the end of this post for more coverage of partner departures.]

Heller chairman Matt Larrabee told The Lawyer that a merger was one of the options his firm was considering, but maintained that no decision had been taken at this point in time....

The rumour mill has put Heller in talks with a number of firms and Larrabee's refusal to deny that Heller is currently in merger talks will only add to the widely held belief that the firm is nearing a deal.

But it won't be the previously rumored merger with Winston & Strawn, which Heller sources tell us is history. Another possible suitor: Proskauer Rose, which emerged in speculation last month. One Heller tipster likes the idea, noting good geographical fit -- Heller's California and Asia presences nicely complement Proskauer's East Coast focus -- and practice group compatibility ("e.g., pro-policy holder insurance coverage, similar patent practices").

Heller chairman Larrabee told the Lawyer: "I can categorically deny that Heller has concluded we must merge." But internally the message is a bit different. Associates were told in a recent video conference that "the firm is definitely looking to merge, that it is an 'awkward' size for the market."

In the meantime, Heller Ehrman continues to go about its business, including major pro bono matters. For example, working together with the Public Interest Law Project and Bay Area Legal Aid, the firm just filed a lawsuit against Alameda County, challenging the planned termination of general assistance benefits to thousands of indigent individuals. More details here.

Heller chairman coy over merger rumours [The Lawyer]
The bigger the better [The Lawyer]
Culture Wars Take Their Toll on Heller Ehrman [American Lawyer]
Morning Wrap: Partner Defections [The BLT / Blog of the Legal Times]
Heller's Tempestuous San Diego Office Loses 4 [Legal Pad / Cal Law]

Yes, LEWW hears the howls of protest from our readers about the weeks we skipped recently. We'll do a makeup post soon, we promise. The weddings pages have been such a wasteland lately that it's been hard to pull together the kind of legal and nuptial excellence you've come to expect here. And it's crushing our spirit.

Take this week. The NYT featured just seven weddings total, with only two LEWW contenders and one Ivy degree (from U. Penn). Here are the two finalists:

1.) Robin Rosenthal and Richard Rothfeld

2.) Erin Conroy and Thomas Welling Jr.

More about these newlyweds, after the jump.

Here's an update to last week's post about how various law firms fared in recruiting summer associates for this year. That post, including the comments, featured oodles of info about the expected summer class sizes at different Biglaw shops.

Now we bring you a few more data points. First, just a few short hours after our post went up, this email went around the New York office of Latham & Watkins:

As we move forward into 2008, the Recruiting Committee and the Recruiting Department would like to thank each of you for your support and participation in last year’s recruiting efforts. Your involvement in the summer program and our fall recruiting efforts was “priceless”. Thanks to your efforts, our summer program and fall hiring results were incredibly successful. The recruiting efforts resulted in 61 first years (not including judicial clerks, which we are currently in the midst of recruiting) starting next fall and a summer class of 80 summer associates (our largest to date!). Thank you all again and a very happy and healthy 2008 to each of you.

It's nice when firms are so responsive to our inquiries.

In addition, a few tipsters emailed us unofficial information about how their firms did in the recruiting process. Check it out, after the jump.

The latest Biglaw bonus announcement to cross our desk is that of Proskauer Rose. The firm is paying year-end and special bonuses, according to the familiar scale, consistent with the firm's "established merit and hours guidelines." The non-New Yorkers among you will be pleased to see that the Proskauer bonuses are the same across the New York, Boston, and Los Angeles offices.

Also, congratulations to Proskauer's eleven new partners (and four senior counsel), whose promotions were recently announced. A special shout-out to Jon Oram, our law school classmate, and a leading young sports lawyer. Jon's clients include the NBA, the NHL, Major League Soccer, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the New Jersey Devils. Congrats, Jon!

P.S. For the record, Jon was not our source for the Proskauer bonus memo -- which we've posted for your reading pleasure, after the jump.

Here are this morning's firms (in Vault 100 order, prestige scores in parentheses):

36. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (6.308)
37. Linklaters (6.301)
38. Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe (6.244)
39. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (6.204)
40. Proskauer Rose LLP (6.195)

You'll note that one of these firms is Linklaters, which we recently wrote about. We reprint two emails from Linklaters sources, taking issue with our prior coverage, after the jump.

The Vault Top 100 Law Firms [Vault]

Earlier: Vault 1-5; Vault 6-10; Vault 11-15; Vault 16-20; Vault 21-25; Vault 26-30; Vault 31-35